Critter/Game Cam Suggestions

All, My family is currently living on a small pastured farm on the side of a mountain facing East toward the Blue Ridge in the Shenandoah Valley bordered on two sides with forest that joins to the National Forest. For those of you not familiar with our National Forest system, not National Park system, hunting is allowed when game is in season. We have black bear but nothing quite so formidable as the much larger brown bear found in the west. We walk our poodles around the fields and forest in the morning (yes, they are not real dogs, but trust they would agree with that assessment) and two days ago our oldest would not leave the front yard to start our walk. Wrote it off to not feeling well though she looked constitutionally fine. Not so ironically our second poodle who is from Washington, DC could care less and enjoyed the walk. That afternoon our biologist neighbor about half a kilometer away sent us video images taken with a game cam from his back yard of a large sow rooting around in the early morning. We have turkey and deer walk through the front yard at least 2-3 times a week as well as bobcat (lynx), rare mountain lion, and frequently fox and of course coyote that have become ubiquitous in our life time as surely they were in primeval America. Possum, skunk and raccoon are everywhere in the rural south though they were very common in the beltway area of northern Virginia when we lived there along with fox and coyote. No surprise there. It would be fun to get a critter cam for the back pasture that transitions to the relatively old forest that has little under growth due to the deer foraging. Any recommendations on what to get? They are not expensive and some can even be tied into the internet. Ten years ago or more you could mess with the cams at Howletts Wild Animal Park that allowed a remote viewer in America including Hawaii to pan with the Howlett’s camera. As well where should I point the camera? Into the field, into the woods or the transition or just randomly slap it on a fence post or tree and hope for the best. I am not a hunter and gain no excitement from killing though I respect those who hunt and value if not covet wild life and prefer to associate with them and I grew up in the shooting sports including clay pigeon and bullseye pistol shooting that were more popular in America during a different era. I enjoy hunting/ambushing with a camera. The only down side is that game cams are somewhat passive though it would be fun to get up in the morning to see what has passed in the night. Any thoughts?

Good hunting.

Edited May 13, 2020 by 2Oceans

Ask you biologist neighbor for recommendations.

First thing I did. Something he picked up at Sams. Nothing special.

Feral pigs are a serious issue and ecological threat - I would contact local Fish & Game. We have a great deal of wildlife, up to and including Mountain Lions and Wolves passing through. On at least one occasion I saw Bear Scat. I decided I would rather not know exactly what is out at night - I no longer hunt, but in a rural area it is useful to have the means to deal with wildlife threats. Do you really want to know?

“in a rural area it is useful to have the means to deal with wildlife threats. Do you really want to know?”

 

Sandy,

Actually I do on both.

In this case I am referring to a bear but many years ago as a boy I was charged by a feral sow (pig) when we surprised each other while I was walking our dogs. Wild pigs have wiped out the honey creeper population in Hawaii by destruction of habitat and they are everywhere in southern CONUS.

I think a cam especially if it can be monitored remotely would be fun and might help avoid an accidental confrontation with a bear if we know it’s close by to where we live. We have bird feeders out with suet and then there are bee hives. In the past when I have seen an isolated cub I left immediately. Discretion is the better part of valor. Like I said I don’t hunt because it brings me no pleasure but I am from the South and so still cling to my Bible that I plan to through at a charging bear. On the other hand some of my neighbors have bagged game in their driveways and their property.

We don’t plan to let the local bear population control what we do but it would be educational to know if they are around and anything else.

 

Anyway, was hoping for some advice on game cams and have started to look at remote systems so that I can enjoy my breakfast coffee and review the night/morning captures.